


Midnight Cravings

by TheatricArcana



Series: Dadowgasts [4]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Caleb gets to feel the baby kick for the first time and they're sappy abt it, Cravings, Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M, Mother-Son Relationship, Pregnancy, Trans Essek Thelyss, Trans Male Pregnancy, embarrassingly domestic wizard content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 19:15:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30093855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheatricArcana/pseuds/TheatricArcana
Summary: "Essek sat upright in bed, an almost wistful look in his eyes as he stared off at seemingly nothing for a few moments before-"Do you… Do you remember that hot chocolate we had in Nicodranas last year? At the Lavish Chateau?"Ah.So that's what was keeping Essek awake."[Basically, Essek starts craving something from the Chateau in the middle of the night, Caleb is determined to get Essek anything and everything he wants, and Marion JUMPS at the chance to mother Essek because she knows he needs it. Almost entirely wholesome content, but check the notes for warnings!]
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Series: Dadowgasts [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053614
Comments: 3
Kudos: 67





	Midnight Cravings

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with more of this because Shadowgast dads are all I ever want to write now and I love them.
> 
> Warnings are:
> 
> Trans male pregnancy (of course), and there is a point where it's mentioned that Essek has cut contact with his family, and it's implied that it's because Essek's family (besides Verin, who we all universally agree is perfect) is unhealthy/abusive. Otherwise I would say this fanfic stays pretty cute/wholesome.

"What do you need, Essek?"

It had become clear that despite the late hour and the obvious restlessness that had settled into Essek's every toss and turn, Essek wasn't planning to voice whatever discomfort he was experiencing at the moment unprompted.

It was entirely possible that Essek wasn't saying anything simply because there was nothing that  _ could  _ be done, at least not that Essek could think of. Caleb had come to understand that one of the hardest parts about Essek being pregnant was that sometimes Essek was simply just  _ uncomfortable _ , and there was nothing that Caleb could do about it besides be by his side until the discomfort passed.

_ Sometimes _ Essek actually did need something. Though, that didn't mean Essek always had the easiest time voicing that he wanted or needed something, so occasionally Caleb would have to coax it out of him if Essek perceived his desires to be superfluous or nonsensical, which was borderline preposterous considering that Caleb wanted nothing more than to ensure the comfort and happiness of his lover, to take care of him and his needs. Essek being somewhat resistant to that process occasionally made things a little difficult, but Caleb persisted nonetheless. He always would.

Luckily, Essek seemed too exhausted to resist in any meaningful way currently.

With assistance from Caleb, Essek sat upright in bed, an almost wistful look in his eyes as he stared off at seemingly nothing for a few moments before-

"Do you… Do you remember that hot chocolate we had in Nicodranas last year? At the Lavish Chateau?"

Ah.

So  _ that's  _ what was keeping Essek awake.

Essek's craving was as unexpected and random as his cravings usually were, although this one was an especially tall order given the late hour, and the even later hour in Nicodranas. Caleb wasn't sure if Jester would be awake or not, or if she was even  _ in  _ Nicodranas right now. She may very well be off somewhere with Beau and Yasha, and Caleb felt even less enthusiastic about the possibility of having to disturb Marion in the middle of the night.

"You want hot chocolate?" Caleb asked, tentatively, hoping Essek would settle for something just a  _ little  _ less specific, but-

"I want the hot chocolate we got in  _ Nicodranas. _ " Essek clarified, resolute in his desires for a few seconds before the hardness in his expression softened, a blush creeping down the tips of his ears. "I'm sorry, I know this is ridiculous. I just-"

Essek surely meant to continue, but Caleb couldn't stand to hear the rest of the sentence. 

"It's not ridiculous." Caleb interrupted, reaching out for Essek's hand and bringing it to his lips, tenderly placing a kiss on Essek's knuckles. "If you want it, I will figure something out." He promised, although he wasn't exactly sure just  _ how _ he would go about doing so. Maybe he  _ would  _ be willing to wake up Jester for Essek, now that he was faced with few other choices.

He certainly had his work cut out for him.

"I'll send a message to Jester and see if there's anything she can do, alright?" Caleb offered, and Essek nodded, looking relieved and wholeheartedly grateful.

" _ Thank you. _ "

The casting of the sending spell was quick and simple, made easy by the fact that Caleb never kept his spell components far, even when they were resting (or  _ trying  _ to rest) for the night.

Somewhat timid, Caleb began to form his message.

" _ Hallo,  _ Jester, I know it's very late, but… we were hoping for some hot chocolate from the Chateau," Caleb paused, struggling with words for a moment, attempting to convey why exactly this odd request at such a late hour was so important and so  _ necessary _ . "Essek is craving it." He decided on, simply, though he could only hope that Jester was able to fully appreciate the intensity of a pregnancy craving.

The reply came as enthusiastic as always, and quickly too.

" _ Oh, hi Caleb! I'm actually not in Nicodranas right now, but my mama is! I'll message her for you!" _

Caleb could sense the shift from when Jester finished saying something useful, to when she realized she still had extra words left that, of course, just  _ had _ to be used up with whatever first came to her mind.

" _ I hope Essek is… very… round! _ "

With a cut off giggle from Jester, the spell's connection fizzled out. Immediately, Caleb went to send another message, to tell Jester not to wake her mother for him, that he would figure something else out, but by the time he finished casting the spell he was met with a muted buzzing noise, arcane interference that he knew meant that his target was already in the middle of another sending spell. She had beaten him to it.

Sighing, Caleb surrendered himself to… whatever was about to happen. The only thing he could do now was fill Essek in.

"Jester is waking up her mother, and she said she… hopes you're doing well."

Essek raised an eyebrow, suspicious right off the bat. "What did she  _ really  _ say about me?"

"She… She said she hopes you are very round."

Essek actually did laugh a little, to Caleb's relief. "I do feel  _ very  _ round." As if to emphasize his point, Essek placed his hands on his lower stomach, pulling the loose fabric of his sleeping robes taught over his stomach, which was…

Well.

It  _ was  _ very round. Caleb couldn't deny it, and Essek wouldn't believe him even if he tried. The intricacies of what a normal pregnancy was supposed to look like was a bit lost on Caleb, considering that he had never personally experienced someone he knew getting pregnant, but Essek's stomach did seem almost impossibly large despite him only just now beginning to near the third trimester. Caleb could only assume that Essek's stomach was simply more exaggerated when compared to his usually much smaller figure, but Caleb had half a mind to bring it up the next time they visited the grove and saw Constance.

Before Caleb could reassure Essek, the voice of Jester rang through his head once more.

" _ Mama said you can go to the Chateau  _ whenever _ you're ready! She really wants to talk to you, too! Hope you guys have fuuun!" _

Well, that was an unexpected, albeit pleasant surprise.

Still, Caleb almost wondered if by " _ talking _ ", Marion meant she was planning to scold them for being the reason that she was disturbed so very late at night. He hoped not. "That... is very generous of your mother to arrange for us at such a late hour on short notice. Thank you, Jester."

There was a long moment where Caleb held his breath in anticipation of another message from Jester, but none came, meaning he could direct his full attention to Essek, who was looking at Caleb with hopeful expectation after hearing Caleb's side of the conversation.

"How would you like to pay a late night visit to the Lavish Chateau?"

* * *

Caleb held onto Essek tightly as they landed on the other side of the teleportation spell, bracing for the inevitable heavy wobble of Essek losing his balance.

It hadn't been a concern before, but as Essek's pregnancy progressed, his center of gravity gradually started to become more and more off balance, and so Caleb had instinctually begun to hold on to Essek whenever they teleported. There hadn't been a fall yet, but Caleb could tell from the way Essek swayed heavily upon arrival each time that he would have had much more difficulty staying upright had Caleb not been there to assist him each time. 

As expected, they landed in Jester's room, which was dark and quiet except for their own noise made upon arrival. Immediately, Caleb made a mental note to grab a trinket from a different part of the Chateau, something that wasn’t from Jester’s _ bedroom _ , of all places _.  _ Previously there hadn’t been a problem, as he had only teleported here with Jester accompanying him, but in her absence it was difficult to ignore that it felt a little strange to be in Jester's bedroom in the middle of the night without her, and judging by the way Essek went for the door almost as soon as he got his bearings, Caleb could only assume it felt at least a little strange to Essek too. It wasn't like they had come here to admire the drawings on Jester's walls anyways, so Caleb followed quickly, hand on Essek's lower back to help guide him forwards.

To their surprise, Marion was already waiting outside the door.

"Ah, I was just beginning to wonder if you boys were going to actually show up or not." To some minor relief, Marion's tone was pleasant and inviting as always, no underlying irritation that Caleb could find in her expression or voice that signaled she was irritated at being disturbed. She looked considerably well put together as well, like she had had time to get ready, but the dim lights of the interior and the lack of light from the windows signaled that it was still late in the evening.

Stepping forward somewhat sheepishly, Essek gave his best polite smile. "Thank you so much for allowing us here despite the time, it was very generous of you. We did not realize Jester was going to wake you after we messaged her, so I am very sorry for disturbing you so late-"

"Please, there's no need to apologize, I was awake already." Marion interrupted, holding up her hand. "I was… a little confused when Jester first messaged me with your request, but once she explained the situation to me I understood  _ perfectly _ ." Lowering her gaze to Essek's stomach, the smile on Marion's face now seemed more sympathetic than anything. "I remember I had the strongest craving for  _ toasted cheese sandwiches _ , of all things. I was up eating them before the sun had even risen more times that I can count."

Visibly relieved, the tension in Essek's shoulders released with a sigh. "Thank you for understanding. I have been thinking about the hot chocolate here  _ all  _ night, I honestly could not sleep."

"I have had  _ plenty  _ of nights like that myself, trust me.” Marion nodded knowingly before she perked up slightly. “Oh! - My apologies for keeping you here. Follow me, I actually arranged a room for you two." Marion gestured for them to follow without waiting for their response, leaving them both scrambling a little to follow. 

"Oh, we were not planning to stay the night, I can get us back home. I would not wish to intrude, especially after you have been so accommodating so late-" Caleb tried, but Marion waved her hand dismissively as she led them further down the spacious hallways of the Chateau.

"You don't have to stay in it if you truly don't want to, but I figured I would offer you two some privacy. It's really no problem, trust me." Coming to a pause at the base of a large staircase, Marion shifted foot to foot somewhat uncomfortably. "Ah, I'm sorry about the steps, the room we had ready was on the upper floor. Jester didn't tell me you were already so far into the third trimester, if I had known I would have tried to arrange something else."

With his hand on Essek's lower back, Caleb could feel the way Essek stiffened  _ ever-so-slightly _ at Marion's comment.

Caleb cleared his throat.

"He's only twenty six weeks, actually."

There was a split second where Marion's polite demeanor fell, a moment of shock that couldn't be concealed  _ quite _ quickly enough, although Marion did try her best for a pleasant smile. "I… see. My apologies, I really should not have assumed."

There was a small pause where no one said anything.

And then Marion voiced  _ the _ question, the one they had both been tiptoeing around for quite some time now, but neither daring to ask-

"Are you  _ sure _ it's not twins?"

A nervous laugh burst forth from Essek beside him almost immediately. "It has crossed my mind at this point, yes. It is difficult to tell though, I do not have much of a reference to compare to."

"Perhaps... It's time we should ask Caduceus to commune next time we visit the grove?" Caleb put out the idea carefully as possible, lest the suggestion of having twins lead to stress for Essek. Luckily, Essek sighed and let his shoulder's sag, not appearing  _ put off _ by the suggestion necessarily, but instead like he had already accepted his current possible position. 

With a nod, Essek agreed. "Perhaps we should."

"Well, there's time to worry about it later, dear." The interruption from Marion was a welcome one, and they both returned their attention towards her, almost relieved to have something else to focus on that didn’t feel quite so serious. Such discussions were better had when they had more privacy, and weren’t sleep deprived. "I'm hoping for you both to relax tonight, why don't you come with me so I can help see to that?” With a small pause, and an expression that was a little too close to a smirk, Marion fixed her gaze on Essek. “I'm sure your hot chocolate is almost ready by now anyways."

Marion knew Essek's weak spot like she knew how to ease tension, because Essek immediately perked up at the mention of ' _ hot chocolate _ '.

"That would be  _ very _ appreciated, thank you."

With a knowing smile, Marion continued up the stairs, calling after herself, "I'm sorry again about the room being upstairs. Do take your time with the steps, really."

A subtle, self satisfied smile came across Essek's face as he surveyed the steps before him. “Ah, no need to worry.” Hands coming away from where they had been resting on his stomach, Essek began to gracefully flourish the somatic gestures for his levitation spell. Within mere moments, made easy by years of frequently and consistently casting the same spell every day, Essek's toes lifted off the ground, his spine visibly straightening as he was relieved of the weight of his stomach, as well as relieved of the need to use his legs to ascend stairs. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Pleasantly surprised and more than a little impressed, Marion laughed as she watched Essek float up the stairs with Caleb following closely at his side. "Now  _ that, _ I wish  _ I _ could have done while I was pregnant. I hadn’t realized you were  _ actually _ floating under that cloak all those times I saw you."

Conversation flowed surprisingly easy between Essek and Marion as Essek shared the specifics of how his magic usage uniquely suited him for pregnancy in some ways, and Marion began to recount her own experiences of being pregnant, and what her techniques were to deal with the symptoms that Essek didn't already have a magical cure for. Caleb was entirely content to trail behind them and simply listen to them talk, as Essek didn't get this kind of one-on-one experience with other people who had also been pregnant very often. It had been a long while since Essek had stopped talking to his mother after all, and while it was for good reason, the lack of advice and a connection to someone who  _ truly  _ understood what Essek was going through from personal experience was sorely missed, even if Essek did a good job of hiding it and pushing past the fact that it was something he wanted.

And honestly, Caleb was pretty sure he was learning more from listening to Marion casually converse now than he had from any book he'd read in the past month anyways.

The door Marion led them to as they conversed looked like a regular room as they came to wait outside, but as Marion produced the key to unlock the door and let it slowly swing open to reveal the chamber behind, it was painstakingly clear that Marion had chosen to go all out for them. She had not gotten them a simple room, but a full size suite, large and spacious with expertly crafted elaborate furniture, including a bed in the middle of the room which was almost too big to be practical, not to mention the obscene amounts of pillows and blankets on top of the bed.

Above all else was the balcony towards the back of the chamber, however. Large windows revealed a sizable open air platform connected to the room, which the entrance to was already wide open. The curtains, which had been drawn back to reveal the view of the ocean and night sky, swayed gently with the salty, cool breeze that ran through Nicodranas at night.

It was absolutely gorgeous, and excessively generous.

"Marion, this is…" Essek started, opening and closing his mouth several times as he struggled to find the words, too stunned by the room before him to speak, or perhaps he was stunned by the gesture itself instead, the kindness from Marion being so excessive that it was difficult to understand exactly  _ why  _ she would do something like this for them.

Caleb picked up where Essek left off.

"This is  _ incredibly _ generous of you, I-I do not know if we can even accept this-" 

"I arranged this room specially for you two in the middle of the night, and you don't want it?" Marion interrupted, with a stern look and a raise of her eyebrow.

If Caleb hadn't been too busy spluttering as he tried to think of how to take back what he said in order to show better appreciation, he would have noticed the teasing smile Marion had. As it was, they were both taken aback when she laughed.

"I'm only joking, dear. The room was already made, but it's truly my pleasure to do this for you two, and plenty easy for me to arrange during the slow season. I wouldn't do this if I didn't want to, trust me." Looking to Essek sympathetically again, Marion continued. "This is the best time of your pregnancy to take a little vacation for yourselves anyways, if you haven't already. I don't say this to scare you, but… I do want you to warn you in case no one else has that the third trimester was…  _ uncomfortable _ a lot of the time, so consider it a gift from someone who understands not only what you're going through, but what you're about to head into. It's a great pleasure for me to be able to give you a place to relax and unwind while it's still relatively easy for you to do so."

Pausing, as if attempting to very carefully choose what to say next, her face became even softer than it already was, something so tender in her eyes as she looked at Essek that Caleb wasn’t sure he could put it into words effectively. "This isn't easy for anyone. I know you've done your research, but not everything you need can be learned through books. If… If you ever want advice or support from someone who really understands, you can always come to me if you need a mother to talk to."

There was a long pause where Essek didn't say anything, and even Caleb couldn't think of a way to properly respond. If there even  _ was  _ a way to properly respond to something like that. Essek had never directly spoken to Marion about the situation regarding his family, or the fact that Verin was the only blood relative he talked to at all anymore, but Marion didn't seem to need to be told, instead somehow instinctively knowing that Essek was missing out.

Eventually, after what must have been only a matter of seconds, but felt like at least a minute, Essek found his voice, although it was surprisingly quiet and almost hoarse, strained when he spoke once more. "Thank you, Marion."

Marion nodded and smiled tenderly at the both of them before stepping to the side, allowing them further into the room. "I do have a client I have to get ready for now, but I have someone preparing your hot chocolate now, they'll bring it up when it's ready." Making her way towards the door already, Marion called behind her, "And take your time here if you'd like, this room won't be needed for at least a week from now."

Before either of them could argue that they would only stay for the night, Marion made her exit, quickly closing the door behind her and leaving them both alone in the room together.

It didn't take much deliberation for them to decide where they wanted to wait while their hot chocolate was being prepared. The bed was comfortable and cozy, but the view from the balcony was stunning, and there was a soft couch faced towards the ocean, as well as a table to set their cups on when their drinks arrived. Even though the darkness of the late hour meant that Caleb couldn't appreciate the view of the ocean like Essek could, he could still enjoy the sound of waves breaking in the distance, and the night sky with all its dazzling stars was plenty beautiful to look at.

Usually, Caleb could stare at and identify stars for countless hours, perfect memory allowing him to recognize the patterns easily.

Tonight, however, he found his gaze drawn lower, away from the stars and constellations. Perhaps what he found himself staring at was a star in its own right, though. It seemed much brighter and more eye catching than anything above him. Then again, maybe he was biased towards the appearance of his husband.

"You're staring."

Caleb did not even try to deny it. "What can I say, you are the most beautiful view tonight."

A small chuckle bubbled forth from Essek. "That is  _ incredibly  _ cheesy, but it feels like an accurate assessment, actually, considering just how massive stars are. I definitely share that in common with them at the moment." Emphasizing his point, Essek placed his hands on his lower stomach, drawing his loose robes tight around his bump in the process, displaying the shape of his rounded belly for Caleb.

Instinctually, Caleb followed Essek's hands with his own, resting his palm on top of Essek’s stomach softly. Caleb marvelled internally at the feeling of Essek's belly being rounded out so far, never able to shake the feeling of awe towards his husband for using his body to achieve a task as beautiful as growing their child. "There is nothing wrong with that, you know."

Essek hummed. "That's true. It's still terribly inconvenient, though."

Caleb was just about to say something in response when a knock on the door drew their attention away from their conversation. Without thinking twice about it, Caleb stood to answer the door, considering that it would be borderline cruel to have Essek go through the effort of standing when he looked so comfortable where he was.

(And unless Essek felt like recasting his levitation spell, it would also be quicker for Caleb to go - though Caleb would never dare point out how Essek's gait had begun to slow recently as his body adjusted to carrying the added weight from a pregnancy.)

When Caleb returned, hot chocolate in hand, the pure and unfiltered joy on Essek's face easily made their late night trip worth it.

There was no denying Essek was still tired. Dark circles hung under his eyes from the chronic lack of sleep, and he looked like he was on the border of exhausted, but there was distinct  _ relief _ when Essek took the first sip of his hot chocolate, and that was plenty for Caleb.

Essek leaned into him when Caleb had taken his place back on the couch beside Essek, making an almost  _ obscene _ noise of relief into the mug, like it was the best thing he'd ever had, and Caleb decided not to comment on it, instead taking satisfaction in his husband's palpable delight and the fact that he was part of the reason that Essek was so joyful at the moment.

Sighing contentedly, Essek melted against Caleb entirely now, taking another hearty swig of the hot chocolate almost immediately after his first taste, only really pausing to breathe when he'd already drained a third of the mug. "That is  _ amazing  _ hot chocolate."

"Does it satisfy your craving?" Truth be told, Caleb already knew the answer from Essek’s body language alone, but he couldn't resist asking anyways, wanting to hear it from Essek directly that he was content and satisfied.

" _ Yes _ . Gods, I think I might be able to actually sleep now." Essek chuckled, setting a hand on his stomach as he took another sip, seemingly unable to keep himself from smiling at least a little.

After drinking from his own hot chocolate for the first time that night, Caleb let out his own noise of appreciation. He'd had it before, but it was even better than he remembered it to be since the last time he'd had it almost a year ago now. Wonderfully rich, but not overly sweet, and spiced with something unique that Caleb couldn't quite place, it was certainly as amazing as Essek had claimed.

"I think this is made with…" Considering carefully, Essek took another sip from his hot chocolate, eyebrows furrowed until something seemed to suddenly click in Essek's head. "This is spiced with ginger." Essek announced, able to place his finger on what he was tasting in a way Caleb seemingly could not. It was hard for Essek  _ not _ to recognize it when he truly thought about the flavor though, as he had practically lived off of candied ginger and ginger tea from the grove for the past several months, consuming almost concerning amounts in the wake of morning sickness, especially during the first trimester. Out of all the methods Essek had tried to keep nausea at bay, ginger was the best one.

"Mmm, it makes sense that you craved it then." Taking another long drink from his mug, Caleb sighed happily. "I am glad we came for this."

Against his shoulder where Essek was leaning his head, Caleb felt a nod. "And I am glad you took me here for this, you certainly know how to spoil a man. I know Marion gets partial credit for this one, but I truly appreciate you bringing me here.”

Caleb let out a hum of laughter at Essek’s comment about Marion, but before he could even open his mouth to respond, his wrist was abruptly grabbed and his hand was pulled to Essek's stomach. Essek wordlessly directed Caleb to flatten his palm against his firm stomach, Essek's own palm pressed against the back of Caleb's hand to hold it in the right place gently.

No reasoning or explanation was needed; they had done this more than a few times now, ever since the very first time Essek had begun to feel the baby move and kick. Provided Caleb was closeby, the second Essek felt movement, he would try to grab Caleb to feel it as well.

The results so far had been less than stellar.

Much to Caleb's dismay, the baby had always settled by the time Caleb had his hand on Essek's stomach. Encouraging as Essek was, always reassuring Caleb each time he missed the baby kicking that he could always try to catch it again next time, it was more than a little disheartening to miss out. This time didn't appear to be any different either, as they both sat there tense and waiting for several long seconds before the excitement faded, the movements from their baby having stopped almost as soon as they'd started, with Caleb still having felt nothing.

Until he did.

A movement so soft and subtle that if he hadn't been wholly focused, he may have missed it, and then to, Caleb's disbelief,  _ another _ , stronger and almost directly against his palm, as if the baby could feel where Caleb's hand was, and was reacting accordingly. For a moment, Caleb could so vividly imagine their baby's tiny hand reaching out to touch his palm through Essek's stomach that it was all he could think about, and when he came back to himself he was already crying.

"You felt that one, yes?" Essek asked, as if he really needed Caleb to tell him to know. The wet sounding laugh that came from Essek already confirmed Essek was crying as well, meaning he had to be fully aware.

Caleb answered anyways.

" _ Ja,  _ I did, I felt them- Oh my gods,  _ Essek _ , I  _ felt them _ -"

He was rambling at that point, but Essek let him joyfully, both of them laughing despite the tears making their way down their faces. His heart felt full to bursting and then some, and he had no other way to express the pure adoration and love spilling from him other than to simply cry until it all came out of him- which was an impossible task considering his fount of devotion and affection for Essek and their child simply did not run dry.

Time was all but lost in the best of ways as they drank their hot chocolate through tears of joy. There may have been some unknowns still, fears that Caleb had about raising a child (or maybe  _ children _ , Caleb found himself thinking unconsciously), and questions that still needed asking, but moments like these made him feel all the more confident they were making the right choice. Even if Essek turned out to be having twins, it would be a welcome addition to Caleb's life at this point. Nothing could ruin this pure, wonderful feeling that came with starting a family.

And as Caleb sat there, hand on pregnant lovers stomach and drinking hot chocolate, he couldn't help but think-

Maybe he  _ hoped  _ Essek would have twins.


End file.
